Chris Rodriguez Jr. to Open as Lead Back in Week 1?
Chris Rodriguez Jr. as the lead back in Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has gotten a lot of hype this summer, but the Commanders could use a committee backfield approach involving Rodriguez, Croskey-Merritt, Austin Ekeler, receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and quarterback Jayden Daniels. Rodriguez is an experienced back that has surprising speed in addition to being a power back. He ranked second in 2024 in PFF's elusive rating in fifth in yards after contact. It doesn't mean that Croskey-Merritt won't be a huge factor in 2025, though, and the Commanders haven't had a home run threat like him in a while. Rodriguez is rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues and is worth watching if you already need RB depth.
Source: A to Z Sports - Josh Taylor
Josh Taylor of A to Z Sports thinks that Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is likely to roll out running back Source: A to Z Sports - Josh Taylor
Chris Rodriguez Jr. Sheds Weight Entering His Third Season
Chris Rodriguez Jr. worked on shedding weight to improve his speed this offseason. His efforts have seemingly paid off. The third-year professional, who didn't make the initial 53-man roster in 2024, impressed the Washington coaching staff enough that they were comfortable trading starter Brian Robinson Jr. According to The Athletic, Rodriguez went from 235 to 222 pounds and ran faster than 20 miles per hour "more times in training camp than I have in almost my whole life." Rodriguez projects to have a role in a three-man running back committee in Washington. Veteran Austin Ekeler and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt round out the trio. Rodriguez may get the fewest opportunities out of the three, but he is worth a late-round fantasy football draft selection to see how the division of labor plays out.
Source: Nicki Jhabvala - The Athletic
Washington Commanders running back Source: Nicki Jhabvala - The Athletic
Jaylin Lane Showing Steady Rise
Jaylin Lane has caught the eye of many in training camp and preseason, including head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn has been encouraged by the fourth-rounder's continued ascent as both a receiver and returner. Lane has elite athletic traits with a 9.68 Relative Athletic Score and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. The Virginia Tech product has 4.34 speed with a 40-inch vertical, and the opportunity to run a decent amount of routes in a projected top offense. The coaching staff has been using him more frequently on the outside as opposed to the slot, most notably in the team's second preseason game against the Bengals. Two of his three receptions in the game were from the outside, and he showed nuance as a route runner, leveraging his speed to create separation in the intermediate range of the field. Lane is worth keeping on the watch list early on and as the season progresses in redraft leagues.
Source: The Team 980
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Source: The Team 980
Commanders "Blown Away" by Deebo Samuel Sr.'s Level of Commitment
Deebo Samuel Sr.'s "commitment to recapturing as much of his prime as possible," according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Samuel Sr. has reportedly shed weight over the offseason after being acquired by Washington from the San Francisco 49ers. The 29-year-old is coming off an underwhelming season, recording 806 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 93 total touches across 15 games for San Francisco. Recapturing his peak form from 2021, when he recorded 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, may be a stretch, but Samuel Sr. could conceivably bounce back to somewhere in between his best season and his most recent one. He's the clear WR2 behind Terry McLaurin in Washington, and he may get multiple touches per game as a rusher as well. Samuel Sr. could easily end up being undervalued as a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 in fantasy drafts.
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
The Washington Commanders have been "blown away" by wide receiver Source: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
"Too Early to Know" Jacory Croskey-Merritt's Role in Washington
Jacory Croskey-Merritt will receive early in the season. Croskey-Merritt was one of the breakout stars of training camp, and the Commanders seemingly cleared a spot for him by trading away incumbent back Brian Robinson Jr. However, Washington still has an established veteran in Austin Ekeler to play passing downs, and third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is expected to earn touches as well. There's a pathway for Croskey-Merritt to seize the lead role in Washington at some point this season, but the Commanders may open the season with more of a committee approach. Croskey-Merritt has fantasy RB2 upside. Still, managers should draft the 24-year-old expecting RB3/flex production.
Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes that it's "still too early to know" how much playing time Washington Commanders rookie running back Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Kendrick Bourne to Visit With Commanders on Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne will visit with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday and with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The framework of a deal is in place with both teams, just in case. The interest from the 49ers was previously reported with San Francisco's wideout room currently decimated by injuries. The 30-year-old went undrafted out of Eastern Washington before joining the Niners back in 2017. He spent four years in the Bay Area and caught 137 passes for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns in 58 games (13 starts) there, but it wasn't until moving to New England where he really took off with a career year in 2021 (55-800-5 line). Bourne would definitely have more of a shot at a key role on offense if he were to return to the 49ers, but fantasy managers shouldn't be holding their breathe either way.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Free-agent wide receiver Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Jayden Daniels' Chemistry With Terry McLaurin Remains
Jayden Daniels expressed confidence in his continued chemistry with star wideout Terry McLaurin, noting, "It never leaves." McLaurin, who returned to practice this week, is coming off a 2024 season with 82 catches, 1,096 yards, and a career-high 13 touchdowns. His steady presence makes him Daniels' clear top target heading into 2025. Currently being drafted as WR16, McLaurin carries strong upside and could be one of the better value picks among mid-tier receivers this season.
Source: JP Finlay
Washington Commanders quarterback Source: JP Finlay
Noah Brown Returns to Practice on Wednesday
Noah Brown (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Brown suffered a knee injury in minicamp that forced him to miss nearly all of training camp, but it appears he has a chance to be ready for Week 1. The 29-year-old played in 11 games for Washington last season, recording 35 catches for 453 yards and one touchdown. Brown is expected to be Washington's WR3 alongside Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. Brown is unlikely to be a significant factor in fantasy this season, but he could be a solid bye-week replacement off the waiver wire if one of McLaurin or Samuel Sr. were to go down with an injury.
Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Washington Commanders wide receiver Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Commanders Release Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup on Monday, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Gallup was unable to make Washington's 53-man roster heading into the regular season in his comeback bid after retiring in 2024 shortly after signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 29-year-old veteran could return to the Commanders on their practice squad, but if he signs with another team for the regular season, he will merely be competing for a spot on the active game-day roster and won't be on the fantasy radar at all. The former third-rounder (81st overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 out of Colorado State caught 34 of 57 targets for 418 yards and only two touchdowns in 17 games (13 starts) in 2023 in his final year in Dallas. Gallup's best season came in Year 2, when he put up a 66-1,107-6 line on 113 targets in 14 games (12 starts).
Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
The Washington Commanders released wide receiver Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
Jayden Daniels in Elite Quarterback Tier?
Jayden Daniels is already in the elite tier of quarterbacks. "The sky is the limit there...I put Daniels on the tier with the Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen...The way I view it those guys prop up a championship window wherever they go," Clark said. Daniels lived up to his second overall draft slot immediately in his first year in the NFL, throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 17 regular-season games and leading his team to an appearance in the NFC Championship. The 24-year-old signal-caller also ran for 891 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season to finish as the QB5 in fantasy. Daniels' scrambling ablility and creativity to make plays outside the pocket give him a high fantasy floor and ceiling, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the QB4 entering his sophomore campaign.
Source: ESPN - Kevin Clark
Kevin Clark of ESPN believes that Washington Commanders quarterback Source: ESPN - Kevin Clark
Terry McLaurin Signs Three-Year Extension with Commanders
Terry McLaurin to a three-year contract extension worth over $96 million, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. McLaurin has been engaged in a highly publicized standoff with the team for the majority of the summer in search of a new deal, and it appears his wish has now been granted. The 29-year-old is coming off a career year in 2024, recording 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's played in all 17 games for Washington in four consecutive seasons and hasn't had fewer than 77 catches or 1,002 receiving yards in a season since his rookie year in 2019. Now that McLaurin is back, he's the undisputed top target for quarterback Jayden Daniels in Washington. McLaurin profiles as a solid WR2 in fantasy, although it's possible his absence from training camp practices and preseason play affects his performance early in the regular season.
Source: Fox Sports - Jordan Schultz
The Washington Commanders have signed star wide receiver Source: Fox Sports - Jordan Schultz
Terry McLaurin, Commanders Remain Far Apart in Contract Negotiations
Terry McLaurin "have been apart all offseason and continue to be apart" on the value of a potential new contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. On ESPN's Get Up this morning, Schefter said there "doesn't seem to be progress" in discussions between the two sides. Based on the latest reporting, it appears McLaurin's "hold-in" is set to continue. The 29-year-old projects as a WR2 in fantasy and would clearly be the top target-earner in Washington if he were on the field. However, he's obviously a risky pick for fantasy managers as long as his status for the start of the regular season is uncertain. If McLaurin were to miss time, Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. could be looking at a heavy volume of targets and touches.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
The Washington Commanders and wide receiver Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Jaylin Lane Feeling Comfortable in Commanders Offense
Jaylin Lane is feeling comfortable in the Commanders' offense, and did not play in the team's final preseason game on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens, with no injury reported and multiple starters sitting. With the Commanders' star wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, still dealing with contract negotiations and status for playing in Week 1 up in the air, Lane has the opportunity to step up with a thin wide receiver room that currently has Deebo Samuel, K.J. Osborn, Michael Gallup, Luke McCaffrey, and Noah Brown. Lane has been impressive in the Commanders camp, and in two preseason games, he had three receptions for 42 yards and was targeted six times. At this time, Lane is a solid candidate for a late flyer or dynasty stash.
Source: Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Source: Washington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Sits Out in Preseason Finale, May Start in Week 1
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was held out of their preseason finale, along with many key starters. While Croskey-Merritt was nursing a minor shoulder injury early in the week, seeing him receive rest before the regular season is a telling sign for his expected role. Instead, Chris Rodriguez Jr. took five carries on the ground while Kazmeir Allen led the backfield with eight touches. Despite being drafted in the seventh round, Croskey-Merritt has emerged as a potential starter in D.C., especially following the trade that sent presumed starter Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco. Croskey-Merritt racked up 46 yards and a score in their second preseason game and 24 yards in his debut. Fantasy managers should continue to closely monitor Croskey-Merritt's status leading up to the regular season, as he could carry RB2 upside if he were to be named the team's starter.
Source: JP Finlay
Washington Commanders rookie running back Source: JP Finlay
Colson Yankoff Has Highlight Play in Preseason Loss to Baltimore
Colson Yankoff finished with two targets and one reception for 52 yards in Washington's final preseason game against the Ravens. Yankoff had a spectacular catch and run as he hauled in a pass up the seam, bounced off a defensive back, and showcased his speed with a 35-yard sprint after the catch. The 2024 undrafted free agent from UCLA is an exceptional athlete with a 9.56 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10. He's drawn consistent positive reviews out of Washington training camp for his versatility and impact on special teams. The team's top three tight ends are pretty set with Zach Ertz, John Bates, and Ben Sinnott, but signs point to Yankoff being kept as a fourth as well. If Ertz were to miss any time, Yankoff could be one to see opportunity in the receiving tight end role if Sinnott hasn't earned it.
Source: ESPN.com
Washington Commanders tight end
Source: ESPN.com